Urban and Industrial Pollution Programs. Czech Republic Case Study: Working PaperNo. 319

摘要

In 1995 USAID launched the Environmental Action Program Support (EAPS) Project.EAPS grew out of a 1993 international conference held in Lucerne, Switzerland, to develop a joint environmental action program. The project sought to decrease environmental degradation in six central and eastern European countries that were making the transition from centrally controlled economies and authoritarian governments to open markets and more democratic institutions. The Czech Republic was the first USAID-assisted country where EAPS was implemented. The EAPS Czech Republic project, a $1.3 million, 28-month effort, began in March 1995 to strengthen the newly established Czech State Fund for the Environment (SFZP) and support small municipalities seeking to mitigate pollution from energy utilities and local industries. Among other measures, this involved converting energy utilities from high sulfur coal to natural gas.